WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The latest iteration of Bridgestone’s e12 family of golf balls consists of three models: HiLaunch, Straight and Speed. The designs are targeted at three specific types of players based off data gleaned by the four-million-plus ball fittings conducted by the company. All of the balls come with the Mindset marking that was developed in conjunction with Jason Day and his mental coach. Mindset is designed to improve pre-shot routine.
AVAILABILITY & PRICE: The e12 series of balls will be at retail from February 14. Australian pricing is still TBA.
3 Cool Things
1. Do you need launch or speed? The e12 HiLaunch is designed, as the name implies, to create a higher launch. The ball features the lowest compression of the trio, allowing it to stay on the face longer and launch higher. The Speed ball is aimed at the distanced challenged. The e12 Speed has the firmest compression of the family, creating more velocity for added yards.
“We pioneered golf ball fitting in 2006, and while ball-fitting has proven to be a tremendous tool to get consumers to try Bridgestone, it has been an even bigger tool for us on the R&D side,” said Dan Murphy, president of Bridgestone Golf. “The new e12 series was really designed by everyday golfers as much as it was designed by us. The data from those millions of amateur fittings is what led us down the path of creating three unique e12 golf balls.”
2. Accuracy anyone? That third ball is the e12 Straight, which reduces spin through a low-compression core, mantle layer and “contact force” dimples used on previous Bridgestone balls.
Contact force dimples feature a raised area in the centre that the company says results in more contact with the clubface at impact than traditional dimples. That brings a more efficient transfer of energy and an ability to activate the core better for faster ball speeds while reducing sidespin off the longer clubs.
The “contact” in the ball’s name refers to “contact science”, or the science of what happens when ball meets club. “Contact science is about the moment of impact,” said Elliot Mellow, golf ball marketing manager for Bridgestone Golf. “It’s about how rubber reacts in a high-heat, high-friction interaction much like the rubber on a tire meeting the road. We have some expertise in that area.”
3. State of mind. More than merely an interesting stamp on a ball, Mindset requires the golfer to put in a little work. That’s not always easy to do with golfers seeking magic elixirs and immediate gratification.
In this instance, it is a commitment to the Mindset process. “Jason Goldsmith and I worked together to develop a pre-shot system that went beyond the simple visualisation I did when I was a kid,” Day said. “He understood how critical pre-shot visualisation was to my game, but also knew I needed a more structured, complete routine. Now Bridgestone has made the Mindset process available to all golfers, which is going to be a game changer for a lot of people.”
That process involves three steps: identify, visualise and focus, with each associated with one of the coloured circles.
The first step has players looking at the outer, red circle of the graphic. This is the identify aspect and requires the player to identify the target and gather information regarding distance, wind conditions, club selection and shot shape. The next step moves on to the inner yellow circle, which is to visualise the shot shape to the target. The final step is the green dot, which promotes full focus on execution.
“You kind of hone in and the colours are a little bit like when drag racing,” Murphy said. “With your red, yellow and green, you kind of build up to where you’re going with the green which means go and you’re executing the shot.”
